Back To The Start
by Lithoniel
Summary: Songfic. What if, instead of letting Vernon bully her nephew, Petunia felt remorse and decided to do something about it? Rated just in case XD


**_Disclaimer: I do not own the lyrics to the song 'Back To The Start' - it's sung by the amazing and talented Lily Allen. Nor do I own Harry Potter, seeing as I'm only 17 and only one of my initials corresponds with those of J.K. Rowling._**

* * *

Petunia Dursley nee Evans wept silently into her pillow as her husband shouted at and hit young Harry, the only child of her deceased sister Lily. She had done the same when she realised her big sister was dead, and that Lily had died thinking Petunia hated her.

A quiet sob from her three-year-old nephew set her resolve, and she sat up to wipe her eyes as she made up her mind. She walked swiftly over to her chest-of-drawers, opening the secret compartment beneath her underwear and pulling out the small hand-mirror Lily's friend Severus had given her the day after Harry had been left on the doorstep.

"Severus Snape," she said quietly, and the mirror shimmered before the face of her sister's friend appeared.

"What is it, Petunia?" Severus asked tiredly, the twenty-three-year-old's face drawn and haggard.

"I need your help," Petunia whispered, glancing towards the door fearfully. Harry's quiet sobs were audible between the sounds of Vernon's belt hitting the tiny boy's flesh. "Vernon keeps beating Harry. If I do anything he'll hit me too. Please, help me keep Lily's son safe," she pleaded, and Severus rubbed the bridge of his nose before sighing.

"I'll be there in a couple of minutes. Try to get the boy away from that pig of a man. Why you married him I'll never know, 'Tuney," he muttered, and Petunia smiled sadly.

"He was as normal as I could find," she murmured. "Thank you, Sev." Severus sighed and the mirror cleared, and Petunia packed a bag swiftly before running silently down the stairs and interposing her body between Vernon and his victim. He paused, piggy face furious.

"Get out of the way, Petunia," he snarled. "The little freak deserves everything he gets!"

"Not anymore," Petunia said firmly, glaring at her obese husband. "I want a divorce. Harry is my sister's child and I will _not_ let you abuse him like this anymore." Vernon's face went purple with rage, and Petunia fell to the ground as he struck her hard across the face. Tiny little Harry whimpered and crawled over to his tall and slightly-bony aunt, placing a very small hand on her cheek to see if she was alright. Petunia sat up and gathered the small child into her arms as the front door was blasted off its hinges to reveal a very, very angry Severus Snape.

_

* * *

_

Six years later…

Lily Allen was a promising young artist, although not many people knew that her real name was Petunia Evans. After her successful divorce from Vernon Dursley, Petunia had changed her name to Lily in honour of her dead sister, and had turned to music. Now, at the age of twenty-seven, she went by the name Lily Allen and was recording a new song for her upcoming album. This one, which she had called 'Back to the Start' was a belated apology to her beloved elder sister.

_When we were growing up, you always looked like  
__You were having such fun  
__You always were and you always will be  
__The taller and prettier one  
__People seem to love you  
__They gravitate towards you  
__It's why I started to hate you so much and  
__I just completely ignored you_

_I don't know why I felt the need to keep it up for oh so long  
__It's all my fault I'm sorry you did absolutely nothing wrong  
__I don't know why I felt the need to drag it out for all these years  
__All the pain I caused you, the cost of blowing off your tears  
__Believe me when I say that I cannot apologise enough  
__When all you ever wanted from me was a token of my love  
__And if it's not too late could you please find it deep within your heart  
__To try and go back, go back to the start  
__Go back to the start_

_I've been so evil with my constant invasions  
__But you made it so easy for me  
__You'd always rise to the occasion  
__I'd always pull you up on, every stupid thing that you said  
__But I found it so entertaining, messing around with your head_

_I don't know why I felt the need to keep it up for oh so long  
__It's all my fault I'm sorry you did absolutely nothing wrong  
__I don't know why I felt the need to drag it out for all these years  
__All the pain I caused you, the cost of blowing off your tears  
__Believe me when I say that I cannot apologise enough  
__When all you ever wanted from me was a token of my love  
__And if it's not too late could you please find it deep within your heart  
__To try and go back, go back to the start  
__Go back to the start  
__Go back to the start  
__Go back to the start_

_This is not just a song, I intend to put these words into action  
__I hope that it sums up the way that I feel, to your satisfaction_

_I don't know why I felt the need to keep it up for oh so long  
__It's all my fault I'm sorry you did absolutely nothing wrong  
__I don't know why I felt the need to drag it out for all these years  
__All the pain I caused you, the cost of blowing off your tears  
__Believe me when I say that I cannot apologise enough  
__When all you ever wanted from me was a token of my love  
__And if it's not too late could you please find it deep within your heart  
__To try and go back, go back to the start  
__Go back to the start  
__Go back to the start_

* * *

Two years later Harry went to his first-year at Hogwarts and made friends with an intelligent young muggleborn named Hermione Granger, as well as a slightly-nervous boy named Neville Longbottom and a shy but imposing-looking girl named Millicent Bulstrode. The four of them – although being in different houses – were firm and best friends throughout their seven years at Hogwarts after defeating Voldemort's shade together in their first year.

Petunia Evans – aka Lily Allen – dated and then married Severus Snape and gave birth to Harry's cousin Eileen Lillian Snape in the boy's fifth year.

Hermione and Harry dated briefly in their fourth year before realising that they didn't love each other in more than a sibling manner, after which point in time Hermione dated the Weasley twins and moved in with them after finishing at Hogwarts.

Harry found a strong and lasting love with Neville, much to the surprise of those who knew them, and Millicent Bulstrode ended up in a sweet relationship with a Ravenclaw girl a year younger than them called Luna Lovegood.

Life, for all of them, was good.

* * *

_As I said, I don't own the song or the characters, and I'm sorry for implying that Lily Allen was anyone but her amazing self._

_Please review!_

_~Ashuri_


End file.
